Steam-chest construction for turbines



Feb. 12A 1924. 1,483,605

A. T. KAsLEY STEAM CHEST CONSTRUCTION FOR TURBINES Filedoct, 4, 1921 2 sheets-sheet 1 .z if 23 f; se 52 I8 J 7 lIl 1 f3' STEAM CHEST CONSTRUCTION FOR TURBINES Filed Oct. 4. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented F eb. l2, 1924.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER T. KASLEY, OF ESSINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO TESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC @s MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

STEAlE-CHEST CONSTRUCTION FOR TUR-EINES.

Application filed October 4, 1921. Serial No. 505,276.

To aLZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER T. KASLEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Essington, in the county of Delaware and State oit Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steam-Chest Constructions for Turbines, of which the following is a speciication.

My invention relates to a steam chest construction Jfor turbines and it has for its object to provide apparatus or' the character designated, and shall be simple, compact and inexpensive .in construction and effective in operation.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is an end view of a turbine, partially in section and partially in elevation, and having a steam chest applied thereto constructed in accordance with one form of my invention and Fig. 2, is a detail sectional view of a modification ot the steam chest construction shown in Fig. 1.

It is well known that steam turbines are ordinarily provided with steam chests from which the steam is admitted to primary and secondary nozzle blocks by means of appropriate. control valves The steam chests which have heretofore been constructed for this purpose have in general taken the `form of rather complicated and expensive castings. inasmuch as it has been usual to incorporate complicated valve structures in the body of the casting.

In accordance with the presentinvention, I provide a steam chest ot simple and inexpensive type in that two flat plates of boiler iron or plate steel are cut to appropriate size and mounted together with a side-wall structure therebetween to malte up the body of the steam chest. Aligned valve ports are formed in these two plates and the entire structure is fastened directly to the nozzle deck with bonnets surmounting-` the upper valve ports. Spool valves are placed in the respective sets or". aligned valve ports and appropriate means are provided for permitting the now of steam admitted under said bonnets through said chest structure to the appropriate nozzle blocks.

By this construction7 expensive and special castings are entirely avoided and further more the danger of hidden flaws is largely eliminated by the use of rolled or forged metal.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing :tor

more detailed understandingr of my invention, I show the wall of a turbine stator at 10, provided with fixed blading- 11 and surrounding a spindle 12 provided with moving blading 13. A primary nozzle bloclcl/i and a secondary nozzle block 15 of any desired construction `face the moving plates 13 which are, for example, oit the impulse type.

A steam chest 34- surmounts the turbine and is formed of a flat upper plate and a similar lower plate 16, these plates being formed, for example, of ordinary boiler iron. A side wall or hoop 17, taking for example, the form ot a forged ring' with planed edges, is clamped between the plates 35 and 16 and by bolts 18-18 and preferably the edges 0f the ring 17 are sealed by means of copper wire gaskets 19-19 as has for many years been common in locomotive steam chest practice where slide valvesare employed.

v The nozzle blocks 11 and 15 together form a nozzle deck abutting; against the' lower surface of the plate 16 and they are fastened directly to said plate as by studs 20-20, the steam chest thus forming' the main support for the steam nozzles.

A primary valve port Q1 is provided in the plate 16 and an additional primary valve port-22 is provided `in alinement therewith in the upper plate 35. These valve ports are appropriately hushed. as .is common in the art. and receive a hollow spool valve 23 underthe control of suitable operating means 24; and a guide member 26 so that the spool valve 23 substantially simultaneously controls the liow ott' steam through the ports 21 and Q2; as is usual in balanced valve practice. It will be obvious thatsteam flowing from the steam chest through the port 22 into the space under the bonnet Qis permitted to flow through the interior of the spool valve 23 to the nozzle block 14 into which thel steam admitted through the port 21 flows directly.

In like manner, secondary valve ports 27 and 28 are associated with a secondary valve member 29, a bonnet 30, and a guidevmemloer 31. e v

Steam is admitted to the valve chest structure through anopening SQ-in the upper ,y

plate anda pipe 33 having a flanged end 'fastened directly to the plate 35 as by suitv abe studs.

` Having; thus described. the arrangement of a steam chest constructed in accordance with vses ure by explosion is largely minimized.

my invention. the operation thereof will be obvious. The steam chest is normally filled with steam at boiler pressure and upon opening ot the primary valve. either by hand or by the governor. steam flows directly to the primary nozzle block '14 through the port 21 and indirectly through the port 22 and the interior of the spool valve 23. ln like manner the opening ot the secondary spool valve 29 admits steam directly to the secondary nozzle block through the port 27 and indirectly through the port 28 and the interior of the spool valve The cost of the stock material tor the construction of a steam chest ot the character indicated is trivial and the machine work is of the most elementary character so thatl it is an easy matter to construct a steam chest of any desired size or shape without the use Ot expensive patterns and castings. All parts lare of readily ascertaimible and dependable strength so that the danger olf tail- By the usual lagging material. a smooth and pleasing external appearance is secured..

llet'erring to the form of my construction shown in Fig. 2, top and bottom plates 85 and 16 are employed as betere, but the sidewall construction takes thel form of a forged channel ring l0 having the i'langes thereof Iioined to the plates and 1G as b v rivets 41-41.

Primary and secondary valves are provided as bet'ore in suitable bonnets 25 and 30. the spool valves e142 and 43. however. being ot' the simple spool type. rather than ot' the hollow type.

set ot hollow studs Llil-stl surrounds the primary valve and penetrates both the upper and lower plates ot the steam chest and also the nozzle deck so that the openings therethrough furnish communication between the space under the bonnet and the interior ot the primary nozzle block. These studs arepretcrably expanded in. place. in any desired manner similar to boiler tube practice and they are thus not only readily reinlered steam tight butthey also serve to lirinly join the upper and lower walls of the steam chest and to firmly attach the nozzle block to the. steam chest.

In like manner. the secondary valve 43 is associated with hollow studs l5-l5 torming passages between `the space under the bonnet and the interior of the secondary nozzle block. y

Steam is shown as admitted to the chest in Fig'. 2 through the lower plate thereof. as at 4G. e

The operation ot the structure thus shown will be obvious. Upon the opening of the primary valve, steam flows directly through the lower port thereof and indirectly through the upper port to the space under the bonnet 25 and downwardly through studs lleel and into the interior of the primary nozzle block and likewise with respect to the secondary valve.

It will be obvious that steam may be admitted to the steam chest either through the top or bottom thereof or through the side wall with but slight moditication oit the machining operations and without the necessity of expensive special patterns and castings. Thus steam may be admit-ted through the top of the steam chest ot Fie. 2 as shown in dotted lines at 47.

lWhile l have shown my invention in but two forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible ot various other changes and n'ioditications without departing from the spirit thereot. and l desire. therefore. that. only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specilically set forth in the appended claims.

lllhat l claim is:-

'1. ln a pressure chest construction for iluid pressure turbines. the combination with au outer plate. ot an inner plate. a sealing wall structure therebetween to torni a closed chamber. aligned valve seats in said two plates. a spool valve operable in said seats. and means providing a path tor fluid tlow 'tor the tluid passed through said outer plate to the inner side ot the inner plate.

ln a steam chest tor steam turbines. the combination with an outer plate` of. an inner plate. a side wall structure fastened between said plates` aligned valve ports in said two plates. the port in said inner plate opening to a steam nozzle and the port in said outer plate opening within a bonnet 1nounted over the port in said outer plate. a spool valve operable to close. said ports substantially sin'iultaneously. and ineans providing a steam passage troni within said bonnet to said steam nozzle.

3. ln a steam chest for steam turbines. tbe combination with an outer plate. oli an inner plate. a sidewall structure tastened betweensaid plates. aligned valve ports in said two plates. the port in said inner plate opening to a steam nozzle and the port in said outer plate opening within a bonnet seated over the port in said outer plate. a spoolv valve operable to close said ports substantially simultaneously. and means providing a steam passage trom within said bonnet to said steam nozzle, through said steam chest.-

4.-. In a 'steam chest tor steam turbines. the combination with an outer plate, of an inner plate. a sidewall structure fastened between said plates to form a closed chamber. aligned valve ports in said two plates. a bonnet seated over the port in said outer plate and the port in said inner plate opening int-o a nozzle block7 hollow studs penetrating said plates adjacent said valve seats, the openings in said studs communicating with the interiors of said bonnet and of said nozzle block respectively, and a spool valve adapted to control the steam iiow through said ports.

5. In a pressure chest construction for fluid-pressure turbines, the combination with an outer plate, of an inner plate, a sealing wall struct-ure therebetween to form a closed chamber, aligned valve seats in said two plates, a spool valve operable in said seats, and means for admitting the fluid supply through one of said plates.

6. In a steam chest construction for steam turbines, the combination with a boXlike structure, of aligned valve ports in the top and bottom thereof. a bonnet covering the port in the top, a spool valve seated in said ports, means for conveying the steam `re leased through the top of said valve when open to the bot-tom of said chest, and means for admitting steam to said chest.

7. In a steam chest construction for steam turbines, the combination with a boxlike structure having aligned valve ports in the top and bottom thereof, of a spool valve seated in said ports, a bonnet surmounting said top and covering the port therein, hollow studs penetrating said top and bottom, the openings therein communicating with the space beneath said bonnet, and means for admitting steam to said chest.

8. In a steam chest construction for steam turbines, the combination with a boxlike structure having aligned valve ports in the top and bottom thereof, of a spool valve seated in said ports, abonne-t surmounting said top and covering the port therein, and hollow studs penetrating said top and bottom, and expanded into openings therethrough.

9. In a steam chest construction for' steam turbines, the combination with a boxlike structure having aligned valve ports in the top and bottom thereof, of a spool valve seated in said ports, said structure surmounting a nozzle Iblock having an opening thereinto aligning with said bottom valve port, a bonnet surmounting said structure over said top valve port, hollow studs adjacent said valve and penetrating the top and bottom of said structure and the nozzle block, the openings in said studs communieating with the space under said bonnet and with the interior of said nozzle block, said studs being expanded in place to firmly hold said structure to said nozzle block, and means for admitting steam to said boxlike structure.

10. In a steam chest construction for steam turbines, the combination with an outer plate, of an inner plate, a side-wall structure fastened between said plates to define a boxlike structure, aligned valve ports in said outer and inner plates, a spool valve seated in said ports, a nozzle block seated against said inner plate and having an opening thereinto aligning with said; inner valve port, a bonnet fastened to said outer plate covering the port therein, hollow studs adjacent said valve and penetrating said inner and outer plates and said nozzle block, the openings in said studs communieating with the space under said bonnet and with the interior of said nozzle block, said studs being expanded in place to firmly engage said nozzle block to said inner and outer plates, and means for admitting steam to said chest through one of said plates.

11. In a steam chest construction for steam turbines the combination with a boxlike structure having two sets of aligned valve ports in the top and bottom thereof, respectively, of a primary spool valve seated in one of said sets of ports and a secondary spool valve seated in the other of said sets of ports, a primary nozzle block and a secondary nozzle block forming a. nozzle deck in contact with the bottom of said structure, the lower primary valve port aligning with an opening into the primary nozzle block and the lower secondary valve port aligning with an opening in said secondary nozzle block, respectively, a bonnet s urmounting said structure over each of said outer valve ports, respectively, a set of hollow studs adjacent each of said valves, respectively, said studs penetrating the top and bottom of said structure and said nozzle deck, the openings through the studs associated with the primary valve communicating with the space under the primary valve bonnet and with the interior of the primary nozzle and similarly with respect to the studs associated with the secondary valve, said studs being expanded in place to firmly engage said structure with said nozzle deck, and

.means for admitting steam to said boXlike structure.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 28th day of September` 1921.

ALEXANDER T. KASLEY. 

